DVD Review
He’s Just Not That Into You
Directed by: Ken Kwapis Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Justin Long, Scarlett Johansson, Bradley Cooper, Ben Afflleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Connolly Time: 2 hrs, 3 minutes Rating: PG-13 Due Out: June 2, 2009
Plot: Many adults are falling in and out of love in this ensemble flick. Gigi (Goodwin) is a blind idealist, Neil (Affleck) never wants to marry, and Anna (Johansson) doesn't mind going after a married man. They're all looking for what makes them happy, and of course, love has many different meaning.
Who’s It For? This is a poor man's version of When Harry Met Sally and Love Acutally. That's good company even if it can't hit the level of either of those two films. You'll find someone to identify with in this romantic dramedy.
Movie: At first it seems this movie is going to be reduced to one speech after the other. It's like the very first episode of "Sex in the City" ... flat. But the good news is, we get to watch some of our favorite actors pop up one by one. So that keeps us going through a very ordinary beginning. Thoughts like, "Wait, haven't Affleck and Aniston dated in real life?" run through your head. But then something happened, you get hooked. Even when Anna in a convenience store is practically channeling Carrie Fisher from When Harry Met Sally (you're right, you're right) it's still watchable. But the film goes beyond average mainly thanks to Goodwin and Long. Long is probably most surprising here because he finally gets to act like an adult. He doesn't have to do the awkward stammering. These two characters alone could have been their own movie. Score: 7/10
EXTRAS
Additional Scenes with Optional Commentary by Director Ken Kwapis
The deleted scenes mainly show us Johansson gets ripped off. I'm actually OK with it, but man her character had a lot more to do as seen in this footage. First, she has a mom, then there's a Tim Buckley/Jeff Buckley parallel, and then she actually sings in the end instead of the quick moment we're given in the actual movie.
Beyond that, Kwapis let's us know he's become great at the awkward pause thanks to his work on "The Office," and there is a gay pride parade sequence that totally gets cut. It was the original way that Connolly and Barrymore met.
The other extras: Widescreen and Full-Screen Formats
Extras Score: 3/10
OVERALL
Just like Mary (Barrymore) talking about Myspace the extras on this DVD feel dated for a 2009 movie. The fact that a cast this huge couldn't get together to record a commentary track is nuts. I could understand if the film flopped at the box office, but it did well. That being said, this movie is worth picking up for one key reason -- watchability. If it's on, I'm in. The small performances (like Affleck and Aniston) help make up for the others that aren't quite as strong (like Cooper and Connolly). But at center stage is a nice formula of head-over-heels in love with love Gigi and realistic womanizer Alex. When you compare this film to some of the other romantic dramedies out there like anything with Matthew McConaughey, this one is worth the watch ... even if the extras disappoint.
Final Score: 6/10